James hamilton



J. HAMILTON DREDGING MACHINE.

No, 8,840. Patented Mar. 30, 1852.

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ZAP/Will NITED STATES PATENT orrron.

JAMES HAMILTON, OF NEW YORK, Ni Y.

DREDGING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,840, dated March 30, 1852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns HAMILTON, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Dredging or Excavating Under W ater; and I herebydeclare that the construction, operation, and effectof the said improvements are fully and substantially set forth and shown in the following description and in the drawing annexed to and making part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1, is a plan of a dredging or excavating machine, as fitted with the said improvements; Fig. 2, is an elevation of the same, as seen at the working end, and Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation at the line A, B, of Fig. 1, the same parts in all the figures being designated by the like marks of reference, as follows: l

O, O, are two scows, of any proper form and proportions, connected at their. ends by platforms D, D, so as to allow a proper space between them for the machinery which they are to support. Each scow or fiat bottom boat, O, is fitted near the ends with plumber blocks and journal boxes, a, a, one. set of which carries, at'the forward end of the scow, a main shaft 6, and atthe other end a similar shaft c, separately noticed hereafter. Each shaft is fitted with levers cl, d, or any competent mechanical means to turn them, and also with ratchet wheels and pawls e, 6, next one or more of the plumber blocks, to hold the shafts at any point to which they may be rotated, and to each shaft. is attached one end of the chains, f, f, f, f. The other ends of these chains are attached to a strong rectangular metal frame E,so that the frame and its appendagescan be raised orlowered by turning the shafts by the levers (Z, cl, as needed. The frame E, is fitted with a protection or bulkhead g, at the forward end, that approximates to the bow of a lighter or boat, to facilitate the movement in the water and protect the frame and partsattached. The frame itself is divided into four or more compartments, each forming an open box, to receive a shovel shaped bucket, or scoop, h, h, h, h, each supported at the back, or closed end, by a hinge bolt 2', i, and having across the upper part of the open end of each shovel a tie bar 1, which both holds the sides of the open end together, and when lowered for use, takes a stud 2, on the frame E, that prevents the mouth of the pendicular,

shovel from descending more than the proper distance. On the cross parts of the frame and compartments E, are small stand ards 3, 3, each fitted to carry the axes of the eccentrically mounted roller sheaves, 7c, is, to each of which a lever Z, is secured; and on eachroller is, one end of a chain or rope 5, is attached, the lower end being secured to the bar 1, that lies across the upper part of the mouth, on each shovel h, h.

On the frame E, are standard posts n, n, carrying a cross bar 0, having above each roller is, is, a small standard 4, containing a sheave, to receive ropes or chains m, the lower ends of each rope being secured to the tops, respectively, of the levers Z, Z, so that by slacking the ropes and allowing the levers Z, to descend the chains 5, wind oft the rollers Z9, until the body of each roller is on one side of its axis, which lowers the mouths of the buckets, or scoops, for the bar 1, to rest on the stud 2, or by hauling on the ropes 5, the levers Z, are raised to the perat the same time raising the moving end of the shovel or bucket, with its load, as hereafter noted. On the top of each standard t, is a catch ,0, of each lever and holds that in its vertical position, to support the load in the bucket.

At 6, 6, in the front of the frame E, are harrow teeth, shown in the drawing as being eachfitted into a cross bar sustained on journals on the frame E, to act vertically, but these teeth may be set diagonally, or hori' zontally, if required to act so, by a key lever taking the square end of the bar in-which they are set, and a lower bar, behind them, may be fitted to support the teeth against any unusual strain.

On one ofthe scows O, is a quadrant plate 9, wit-h a graduated index, having through its apex a small shaft 7, that carries an index pointer 1", inside, and on the outside a pole or rod .9, having a weight 8, at the outer end. The index and rod are so set on the shaft 7, that as the weight 8, de-

scends the index pointer r, denotes the depth of water to the bottom on which the weight lies.

At F is a drag chain, so attached to the forward .end of the frame E, that a steam vessel, or other competent power, can be applied to the drag chain and draw the frame E, with the open scoops, it, along the surface of the soil it is desired to remove, the scows moving as the frame E, is drawn forward.

- rollers 72,

It will be understood by the foregoing description of the parts and their uses that the scows are to be placed over the part that is to be dredged out with the mouths of the shovels by lowering the levers Z, as shown at 9, Fig. 3. The frame E, is then to be lowered so much as needful, to give the shovels a firm cut or bite in the soil beneath, and the frame and scows towed or moved by any competent means, in the direction of the arrow beneath. The harrow teeth 6, operating like a plow 'colter in front of the shovels or scoops loosens the soil for the scoops to enter, and when sufiiciently full, the ropes m, are to be hauled on by any competent means, and as these raise the levers Z, the chains 5, winding on to the eccentric raise the loaded shovels, or scoops, to the position shown at 10. Fig. 3, with the load of soil, into the inclosure formed by the frame E, around each shovel. hen all the loaded scoops or shovels are thus filled,

' and raised, the scows, with the loaded ma chinery, are to be moved away to deposit the load in deeper water, as required; and if it is wanted to place the excavated load into lighters, or barges, for transport to a distance the blocks a, a, are to be of sufficient height and the working parts so arranged that a lighter or barge can be entered between the scows, and under the loaded shovels, when the lowering the levers Z, by

. slacking the ropes m, will discharge the load scoop,

into the lighter by lowering the mouths of the scoops in the position shown at 9, Fig. 3, when the material will shoot out by its own gravity, sliding it down the bottom of the and if the soil is adhesive, so as to stick in the shovels, the back end of the frame E, may be raised and the front end lowered, so as to increase the descending angles of the bottoms of the shovels, or

T scoops, and thereby accelerate the descent of the load. The weight 8, lying on the soil, shows by the pole s, and index pointer a", on the under plate the depth of water when commencing to excavate and the progressive depths to which the excavations go, and finally the pointer indicates when the required depth of water is obtained by the eX- cavation. It will also be understood that though only four compartments for the shovels or scoops are shown in the drawing, that the number of compartments and shovels or scoops and the size and strength of the frame E, as also that of the machinery and scows, may be varied, and proportioned to suit the nature and extent of the work to be accomplished; and it will also be evident that the sc'ows C, may receive steam power and machinery to move them, and the frame 1 E, as required, instead of attaching a separate steam vessel. By this apparatus a large quantity of any soil that the harrow teeth can loosen, andv the shovels can receive, can be taken up, at one operation, and removed, and no part of the soil taken into the shovels, or scoops, will escape when the scoop is raised by the lever Z, into the position shown at 9, Fig. 3, and the load being moved under water, does not require so much buoyant power to sustain it, and the expense of removing the amount of water, which always comes up with the mud, or sand, inthe ordinary dredging machines, and is put into the scows, as usual, is saved. I am aware that machines have been made to loosen and scrape upthe surface of soil under water, and draw the soil away into deeper water, by a series of rigid scrapers, having a progressive forward motion, the discharge of the load being effected by raising the scrapers backward, which causes the water to wash the load out; and in transport there is nothing to prevent the soil falling out of the scrapers. But this present machine of mine differs from all others that I know of, because it breaks up, collects, and then incloses the soil on which it works, so that the shovels retain all. they have taken up until the-machine can be moved to discharge the load when required,

Ido-not limit myself to the means de-' scribed for raising and lowering the frame E, nor to the shapes of the shovels or scoops or the means of moving them, as other mechanical. means, shapes, or arrangements may be used. Neither do I limit myself in the number of the shovels or scoops or the proportions of its parts.

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent,

The shovels, or scoops h, forming the bottoms of compartments in a proper frame, and moving at one end on a hinge or similar contrivance, the other end being lowered, to

cause the scoop, as the frame is moved along,

to collect the sand or mud, or other material operated on, and retain the same by suitable mechanical means, operating to lift the scoop and close the bottom, as described and shown.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this tenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty two.

JAMES HAMILTON. 

